The
Vietnamese archipelagoes of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) are both
situated in the South China Sea off the Republic of Vietnam's shore. Their very
modest size by no means lesser the importance given them by the Vietnamese: to
Vietnamese hearts, these remote insular territories are as dear as could be any
other part of the fatherland. The Hoang Sa Islands to the North were occupied
by force of arms by the People's Republic of China on January 20, 1974,
following a brazen act of invasion which left the world extremely indignant. As
for the Truong Sa Islands 500 km to the South, two other foreign powers are
illegally stationing troops on four of the main islands in the archipelago.
The Government
of the Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people,
determined to
defend their sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country, solemnly
denounce the occupation of these Vietnamese territories by foreign troops.
Regarding the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, not only was the gross violation of
Vietnamese sovereignty by the People's Republic of China a defiance of the law
of nations and the Charter of the United Nations: in-as-much as this involved
the use of force by a world power against a small country in Asia, it also
constitutes a threat to peace and stability in South East Asia In the case of
the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, although foreign occupation was not preceded
by bloodshed, it nevertheless represents a grave violation of the territorial
integrity of the Republic of Vietnam. The
rights of the Vietnamese people over those islands have been as firmly
established there as on the Hoang Sa archipelago.
The Republic
of Vietnam fulfils all the conditions required by international law to assert
its claim to possession of these islands. Throughout the course of history, the
Vietnamese had already accomplished the gradual consolidation of their rights
on the Hoang Sa Islands. By the early 19th century, a systematic policy of
effective occupation was implemented by Vietnamese emperors The Truong Sa
Islands, known to and exploited by Vietnamese fishermen and laborers for many
centuries, were formally incorporated into Vietnamese territory by France on
behalf of Vietnam. On both archipelagoes, Vietnamese civil servants assured a
peaceful and effective exercise of Vietnamese jurisdiction. The continuous
display of state authority was coupled with the constant Vietnamese will to
remain the owner of a legitimate title over those islands. Thus military defense
of the archipelagoes and diplomatic activities were put forth in the face of
false claims from other countries in the area. Vietnamese rights being
indisputable, the People's Republic of China chose to resort to military force
in order to assert her sudden claims to the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Two
other foreign powers took advantage of the war situation in Vietnam to
militarily occupy some of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands over which they have
no legal rights. Since both the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Archipelagoes are
situated below the 17th parallel, this is primarily a matter of concern for the
Republic of Vietnam.
This White
Paper is designed to demonstrate the validity of the claims made by the
Republic of Vietnam. It is also an appeal for justice to the conscience of all
law- abiding and peace-loving nations in the world.
Proclamation
by the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (1974)
The noblest
and most imperative task of a Government is to defend the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of the Nation. The Government of the
Republic of Vietnam is determined to carry out this task, regardless of
difficulties it may encounter and regardless of unfounded objections wherever
they may come from. In the face of the illegal military occupation by Communist
China of the Paracels
Archipelago
which is an integral part of the Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the
Republic of Vietnam deems it necessary to solemnly declare before world
opinion, to friends and foes alike, that :
The Hoang Sa
(Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes are an indivisible part of the
territory of the Republic of Vietnam. The Government and People of the Republic
of Vietnam shall not yield to force and renounce all or part of their
sovereignty over those archipelagoes.
As long as
one single island of that part of the territory of the Republic of Vietnam is
forcibly
occupied by another country, the Government and People of the Republic
will
continue their struggle to recover their legitimate rights.
The illegal
occupant will have to bear all responsibility for any tension arising
therefrom.
On this
occasion, the Government of the Republic of Vietnam also solemnly reaffirms the
sovereignty of the Republic of Vietnam over the islands off the shores of
Central and South Vietnam, which have been consistently accepted as a part of
the territory of the Republic of Vietnam on the basis of undeniable geographic,
historical and legal evidence and on account of realities.
The
Government of the Republic of Vietnam is determined to defend the sovereignty
of the Nation over those islands by all and every means.
In keeping
with its traditionally peaceful policy, the Government of the Republic of
Vietnam is disposed to solve, through negotiations, international disputes
which may arise over those islands, but this does not mean that it shall
renounce its sovereignty over any part of its national territory.
(Proclamation
by the Government of the Republic of Vietnam dated February 14, 1974)
The Early
Historical Rights of Vietnam
The
Vietnamese have had knowledge of the Hoang Sa Islands long before the arrival
to the South China Sea of Westerners who publicized internationally the name of
"Paracels" for this part of their territory. It has been
scientifically determined that the Vietnamese presence on this archipelago
started in the 15th century. The systematic
exploitation of the islands' resources started early and gradually developed
Vietnamese interest in these territories, leading in the 18th century to
official state decision such as the formation of the Hoang Sa Company to ensure
a rational exploitation of those islands. As evidenced by reliable Vietnamese
and foreign sources, Vietnam progressively asserted her rights and the Hoang Sa
archipelago was formally taken possession of the Vietnamese authorities in the
year 1816.
Geographic
position.
The Hoang Sa
Archipelago is a string of islets off the Vietnamese coast between 111 and 113
degrees longitude East of Greenwich, and between 15045' and 17015' North
latitude. The nearest island in the archipelago is roughly at equal distance
from the coast of Vietnam and the southern shore of Hainan Island in China.
Using Pattle Island (dao Hoang Sa), the largest of the group, as a point of
reference, the distances are as follows:
Pattle to
the Vietnamese harbor of Danang: 200 nautical miles.
Pattle to
the closest shore on Hainan: 150 nautical miles.
Pattle to
the closest shore in the Philippines: 450 nautical miles.
Pattle to
the closest shore in Taiwan: 620 nautical miles.
The Hoang Sa
Islands are divided into two groups: to the East lies the Tuyen Duc
(or
Amphitrite) Group and to the West lies the Nguyet Thiem (or Crescent) Group.
The main
islands are:
Tuyen Duc
Group:
Dao
Bac-North Island
Dao Trung -
Middle Island
Dao Nam -
South Island
Phu
Lam-Wooded Island (French: Ile Boisee)
Hon Da -
Rocky Island
Dao Linh Con
-Lincoln Island
Dao Cu
Moc-Tree Island
Con Nam -
South Bank
Nguyet Thiem
Group:
Dao Hoang Sa
- Pattle Island Dao Cam Tuyen - Robert Island Dao Vinh Lac- Money Island Dao
Quang Hoa - Duncan Island Dao Duy Mong - Drummond Island Dao Bach Qui - Passu
Keah Island Dao Tri Ton - Triton Island.
Apart from
Pattle, the only other large island is Phu Lam or Wooded Island in the
Amphitrite Group. The total surface area of the isles in both Groups barely
exceeds 10 square kilometers or about 5 square miles. Most Islets were
originally coral reefs and have the appearance of bare sand-banks, except for
Wooded Island and Pattle Island, which is known for its coconut trees. The
islands are surrounded by rings of reefs which make the approach by vessels
very dangerous. An abundance of tortoises, sea slugs and other marine creatures
are found there. Rich beds of phosphate have been produced by the interaction
of the sea birds' guano with tropical rains and the coral limestone. The
climate on the archipelago is marked by constant humidity and little variation
in mean temperatures. In economic terms, the Hoang Sa Islands have been
frequented long ago by Vietnamese fishermen and in recent times have attracted
many companies exploiting phosphate .
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